Simultaneous recording and analysis of direct and indirect fetal electrocardiography

Recording and analysis of fetal heart rate variability is still the most common method for detection of early symptoms of fetal hypoxia. However, fetal heart rate obtained via ultrasound describes only mechanical activity of fetus heart. Limitations of this technique have stimulated the development of fetal electrocardiography. It ensures more precise determination of fetal heart rate and, which is more important, enables assessment of the morphology of the fetal QRS complexes. In this paper two techniques of obtaining the fetal electrocardiogram are described and their comparative study is presented.